Surface Pro 3: Portability

Well, we got the bigger Surface Pro we were all clamoring for. But how does the larger form factor impact the size and weight of this device? Will it be a beast in your bag, or is it something you can happily carry without worrying about injuring yourself?

I've only had the Surface Pro 3 for a few days, of course, but I've reviewed enough laptops, Ultrabooks, tablets and other portable computing devices to feel comfortable making a few upfront observations about the portability of this device. As I've noted in the past, one of my big goals while traveling with technology is to hit the right balance between usability and weight, and I'm always looking to lighten the load. Presumably, Surface Pro 3 was designed just for me. Or for people like me. Or something.

Last week, I surmised that if you "squashed" a Surface Pro 2, you could make it both bigger and thinner. And oddly enough, that was pretty much the approach Microsoft took with Surface Pro 3. Where Surface Pro 2 is 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches thick, Surface Pro 3 is 11.5 x 7.93 inches and is just 0.3 inches thick. That thinness is almost exactly half that of the Surface Pro 2, which one might charitably call both thick and slab-like. But it's also a hair thinner than the Surface 2, which is just .35 inches thick. Folks, that is amazing.

Surface Pro (top), Surface Pro 3 (bottom)

As surprising, perhaps, is that Surface Pro 3 is also lighter than its predecessor. At 1.76 pounds (800 grams), the bigger Surface Pro 3 is noticeably lighter than the Surface Pro 2, at 2 pounds (907 grams). And since the new Surface Pro Type Cover is a bit lighter than its predecessor, the Type Cover 2, well, you get the idea. The whole kit and caboodle is lighter ... despite being bigger.

Surface Pro (top), Surface Pro 3 (bottom)

Apple would have a field day marketing such a device. For now, let's consider how this impacts the portability of this device. After all, it is bigger. Is more unwieldy?

No. In fact, it's less unwieldy than its smaller predecessor. As with certain Nokia devices—like the Lumia 920, which was infamous for this—the Surface Pro 2 is an incredibly dense device, packing more weight into a smaller (but thicker) package. Surface Pro 3, by comparison, seems airier, and better proportioned. It's both lighter and more portable. Despite being "bigger."

Surface Pro (top), Surface Pro 3 (bottom)

Having carted around a Lenovo Yoga Pro 2, ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Lenovo Yoga 2 13-inch (non-Pro) on recent trips, I can say that the Surface Pro 3 is among the most portable of the bunch. This would be a wonderful device to travel with, and I'm looking forward to my first cross-country trip with the Pro 3 in early June to determine whether this impression really holds up. But in comparing these devices here at home, I'm comfortable that it will. It's the type of thing you can slip in a bag and forget about.

One concern with the bigger device, of course, is whether it will be usable on a plane or in other tight quarters. In tablet mode, of course, that won't be an issue. But the bigger size and Surface Pro Type Cover combine to make this device both taller and longer, front to back, than the Surface Pro 2.

Surface Pro (left), Surface Pro 3 (right)

You can of course use the frictionless kickstand to find a lower top position for the device, but in this mode it's even longer front-to-back. So it's not clear how well this would work on a plane.

Surface Pro (left), Surface Pro 3 (right)

But here's the kicker. When you place the kickstand on both Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 at the first position, and then use the magnetic stability strip on the new Surface Pro Type Cover to attach to the front of that device, the Surface Pro 3 is actually shorter from front to back. That is, it would fit better in a cramped airplane seat, at least assuming that the seat in front of you wasn't jacked back all the way.

Surface Pro 3 (top), Surface Pro (bottom)

Basically, it's pretty clear that Microsoft achieved something pretty special in the portability department: This device is bigger top to bottom and left to right, but is thinner and lighter than its predecessor. And the versatility of its new kickstand and Type Cover suggests that you may have an easier time of getting work done in tight travel situations.

I agree. It's almost like saying, "Ships next year, folks". That may not be fair, but I'd rather they were close to a real release date like Apple has been know n to do where they announce something and it can be bought within days, not months.

"But it's also a hair thinner than the Surface 2, which is just .35 inches thick."

Thanks for all your detailed coverage of specifics of the new Surface. I've already ordered one but the details you're providing are helping me to determine exactly how I'll use it.
As for the part I've quoted above, I think there might be a little confusion over the thickness because the metric dimensions listed on the main surface site are 9.1mm for Pro 3 and 8.9mm for Surface 2.

This sentence is really confusing... I think there are some typos here:

"Where Surface Pro 2 is 10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches thick, Surface Pro 3 is 11.5 x 7.93 inches and is just 0.3 inches thick. That thinness is almost exactly that of the Surface Pro 2, which one might charitably call both thick and slab-like. But it's also a hair thinner than the Surface 2, which is just .35 inches thick."

Now I just hope they get the mini right with stylus input before Christmas with the new joined WP/RT ARM OS. My only worry is that they will drop the Desktop completely. The desktop is one of the main reasons I LOVE RT.

Paul, this has been a fantastic series on the Surface Pro 3. Its very thorough and has hit all the marks I was wondering about. As a taller guy, 6'3, the added angles on the kickstand look like a great option as I find that my ATIV Tab did not recline enough on a lot of surfaces. During meetings I could almost lay it flat but still have an angle so that I can still see everyone and not feel like I am hiding behind the device. I am also a One Note addict. I use the app frequently for work and in my personal life so the added value of the pen click to insert documents and pages is a huge bonus. A Pro 2 owner introduced me to a dongle by Cable Matters that has mini display port to HDMI, VGA and DVI. It only supports to 1080p but will do the job well enough to connect to projects of all types and monitors on the road as needed.

Paul, I head in an interview after the event that the Surface 3 standby time is about a year. Is this true and how fast does it come out of sleep. This could Increase the ability for it to do all day computing. Also it looks like Microsoft is learning from it's previous launches. For better or worse at least they gave the surface 3 to the press and let us pre-order the day after the press event. I have a surface pro 2 and my favorite thing is the ability to take notes with a pen in meetings and have a linked word document that I can also take notes quickly and then edit later at my desk. Oh and thanks to the cloud sync my notes are already at my desk. The other cool thing is that my handwritten notes are searchable. That is very powerful. For a professional this is a great tool and is worth the price. I travel weekly from coast to coast and I use to carry a 6 pound workstation class laptop for work and the Surface RT for entertainment because it had the battery life for the flight. Now I just use just my Surface Pro 2 for both work and Play. I'll have to wait for the Surface Pro 4 because I just bought a Surface Pro 2 last year but I like the direction Microsoft is heading.

If I were using this strictly as a laptop at a desk or maybe in my lap, I would say the size is great.
However, I use my current Surface Pro as a tablet in my lap while sitting on the couch 90% of the time. The 10" screen is already a tad too big and I'd rather have a smaller device for surfing the web and playing games on the couch.
Although, I will definitely consider a Pro 3 when I am in the market for a new laptop.

For college and university use this thing is amazing. That got me thinking whether maybe I should consider it too. I don't take many notes electronically at work. Usually just scribble on PowerPoint docs and then end up having to transpose.
Hmmm. I'm gonna have to think about this.

They certainly have innovated some quality engineering with this new model. It's a shame they've slapped the Mini DisplayPort right at the top though, won't look as good with the extender hanging loose off it!

I don't think this should ever be in question. It's a full Windows laptop! You can probably stack 3 of these and weigh less than my current corporate thinkpad, and still be thinner.

The only portability question is the same from all the Surfaces (and ipads and galaxies used serious ways), namely, how easy is it to manage a separate keyboard day-in and day-out? And while I could ask how easy is it to manage a separate mouse - necessary for a laptop substitute unlike other, less serious, tablets - it's clear that the touchpad is better and you still have the pen - though you have to keep track of the pen, I find that business users with ipads do this anyway for light document editing.

For what it is, portability is obviously ok.

There is a 'lapability' question, but not with the keyboard, the question is, is 12" just too large to play games and touch everything ... sounds weird, but you know. The Galaxy Pro tablets about the same size haven't taken off afaict.

That very first photo at the top is what makes me think that Microsoft just doesn't get how people use their devices. Who actually opens up Excel to make a budget spreadsheet, and then mark it up with handwriting? People actually input all that data into rows and columns for a Paris trip??? I think most people use Mint or Level or some other app on their device, be it iOS, Android or Windows Phone...

I'm sure you are going to write soon about this, but to me, the real test for this computer is not how light and portable it is as a laptop (this article), but how handy as a *tablet* it is. How does it feel when holding it in one hand when reading a book or a webpage? Or holding it in one hand and taking pen notes on it with the other. My experience has been 1.3 pounds is the upper end cutoff for that--much heavier and the one-handed experience just doesn't work. So 1.7 pounds seems like it couldn't be a "true" tablet--that I'll still need to carry two devices. But I could be wrong, maybe there is some magic in the balance of this device. Love to hear your thoughts on this.

All kidding aside (and I haven't yet had the chance to listen to WW or WTT), the (metaphorical) deafening silence (in print, at least) on the question why no Surface Mini was launched this week seems an odd omission. This missing device seems a lot more suited to advancing MS's mobile strategy than the Pro 3, which is ultimately little more than a high-end laptop, the very impressive engineering notwithstanding.

MS needs, desperately, an AFFORDABLE 8" tablet if it has any ambitions at all to have its own mobile platform. The alternatives (none of which are ARM tablets running Windows RT) just don't seem as compelling. The fact that the desktop is available on all current versions doesn't help Metro's cause.

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